


To Catch a Heart

by Galaxias_Group



Series: Alternate Universe Escapades [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Ava is just as much of a disaster as usual, Dawn is not helping, Kingdoms and Castles, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27065137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galaxias_Group/pseuds/Galaxias_Group
Summary: The castle corridors were sorely lacking in knights, who quest as knights do and never return responsibly. Or at all, in this case. Nay, they had searched the lands for their missing men and unceremoniously added to the problem. All eyes had departed, save for one.A pair of golden eyes, focused and direct, froze Ava like a deer in torchlight. It was her knight, Dawn—the least sensible knight in their lands, and thus the most sensible to assign to Ava.Tags will be added as the story updates!
Series: Alternate Universe Escapades [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2145378
Kudos: 4





	To Catch a Heart

**Link  
** | noun. **  
** a relationship between two things or situations, especially where one affects the other

_ A snowdrop skims over the edge of an emerald, melting on shaken fingers. Chilled breath disturbs the links of a silver dreamcatcher and sets the tassels adrift in the wind. She stands as though a willow; at once anchored upright, yet floating in Winter’s howl. She is a princess, perched at the tallest tower, watching over the orange lights of the town below. _

_ Once upon a Winter, in lands far over distant horizons, there lived a Princess Ava. A flower sprouted in the trappings of nobility, eager enough to scald her hands on bakers’ tools, yet never sure enough to speak sentences in court. She once rode a cake tray to escape a particularly insistent courtier, gliding down the stairs at a speed to ravage carpets. And thus the sport of skiing was invented at the same time. _

_ Now, her hands tremble. Like frayed cloth in the wind, the lights below flicker, quivering. Men have disappeared without a trace in this land and even lands beyond the mountains. Ava weaves another green stone into the link; another soul lost in the winds. It is the 5th link. She whispers with it close to her heart, that it will be the last. _

* * *

Glass heels strode at a near-gallop against the floor. Bundles of packs and bedroll bristled against fine silk and jewellery. This patchwork of misaligned priorities -otherwise known as Ava- hurried down the halls, geared for an approximation of a grand mission. There were fortunately no eyes to cast judgement on what she deemed to be supplies. The castle corridors were sorely lacking in knights, who quest as knights do and never return responsibly. Or at all, in this case. Nay, they had searched the lands for their missing men and unceremoniously added to the problem. All eyes had departed, save for one.

Her stride turned to a tip-toe as the flickering candlelight peeking from the next door ushered a quiet in her footsteps. Ava stopped to listen once past the threshold; she could make out the sound of quill-scrawling and was reassured of success to her escapade. Until it stopped, and the door creaked open. A pair of golden eyes, focused and direct, froze Ava like a deer in torchlight. It was her knight, Dawn — the least sensible knight in their lands, and thus the most sensible to assign to Ava.

_ ‘Ava!’ _ He paused, trying to identify which part of the amalgamation contained his friend, ‘ _ Wait, let me guess. Villa vacation? Mid-Winter trek? Oh!’ _ His gauntlets clapped.  _ ‘You’re running from another boy.’ _ Dawn’s undeserved grin did not inspire confidence, and neither did his finger guns. He had however, inspired a pair of pouted cheeks, flared red with embarrassment.

Ava clutched her pack’s straps.  _ ‘No! I’m going to find our people!’ _ she asserted. She produced a set of silks and patterned cushions from her luggage mound.  _ ‘Look, I only brought three pillows, I’m serious about this!’ _ A defeating silence cut the air, and was then walloped by roaring laughter.

_ ‘Never change, Princess,’ _ Dawn mocked, hands slapping knees. He toed over and hoisted Ava’s great burden off the now-resigned Ava.

_ ‘And how will you do any better? You’re a house-knight, Dawn. You’ve never been questing before.’ _

_ ‘No, I have not,’ _ Dawn boasted,  _ ‘That is why I have something prepared, that puts this house-knight one step ahead of the other metal munchkins.’ _ Cupping Ava’s hand in his own, Dawn led the Princess into his War room. Carved wooden soldiers mounted on a continental map, hanging treatises, sealed with red wax hung upon the walls. A murder of steel arms and armour cradled the solitary bed in the room, while a single nightstand in the corner was crowned with a tea set; porcelain pink  for the Princess. Dawn jabbed his finger on the map.  _ ‘I have a plan.’ _

Ava’s eyes whirled at the sight; an impossibly intricate web of red string clung to the map, linking each wooden soldier.  _ ‘Um…’ _ She stammered,  _ ‘Do I need a tinfoil hat to understand this?’ _ A waving metal finger perished the notion.

Dawn traced his hand over and picked up two of the figures. One, a champion upon a rising horse, draped with a tiny red cape. The other, a petite princess, raising a torch of crystal flame.

_ ‘The hero so brave and wise, so true and fair,  
_ __ Travels the land, on silver mare,  
_ He seeks the people gone awhile,  
_ __ To return to hearth, and Ava’s smile’

Dawn swashed his hair, bright as sun’s rise, and assumed a heroic stance becoming of a King’s mausoleum.  _ ‘Time’s a wasting, Ava. I’ll be back before you know it.’ _ He hoisted a much more practical pack onto his shoulders and collected his weapon of choice from the arsenal he called a bedroom.

_ ‘Don’t look so pleased with yourself,’ _ Ava muttered. She moved to exchange another rebuttal, but for a moment paused and glared instead,  _ ‘…You missed the part where I come with you.’ _ A rustle of silk and clink of glass heels and her body now stood between the Knight and the door, barring passage beyond.

That boisterous figure soon deflated. Dawn met eyes with the torch-bearer in her hand, and breathed a farewell to it. Soon, Ava found the figure presented to her, and nestled in her hands.

_ ‘… Are you sure you want to do this?’ _ Dawn hesitated.

_ ‘My feet don’t leave here without yours.’ _

Dawn grinned, discarding the gauntlet from his hand so he could ruffle Ava’s hair. _ ‘Only if you get some sleep…’  _ He peered at the compact home piled behind her with an affectionate smile,  _ ‘…And maybe not cross a mountain in Winter while carrying one?’ _

And thus, an accord was met.

The howl of the skies simmered to whispers and jingles of emerald links hummed in sunrise’s glow, heralding a quiet dawn. Ava’s eyes skipped awake. She bounced from her warm bedding and landed softly on her feet, ignoring the sting of the chilled wood under her soles. 

_ Today was an adventure! _

She jolted to a halt and cleared her throat.  _ Today was an important mission.  _

Half-strutting, half-skipping, Ava made her way down to Dawn’s room.  _ ‘I’ll bet he’s still snoring away.’ _

Delicate hands grasped at the intricate handle and pushed slowly at the heavy wood till it bared a gap just large enough for Ava to slip through,  _ ‘It’s time to go, sleepyhead-’ _ She caught herself before her voice could fill the room. Dawn’s quarters were empty and the centrepiece map was devoid of everything, save for a single torch-bearing Princess.

**Author's Note:**

> Author: Lumberjackle  
> Editor: alys - https://www.youtube.com/alystheunicorn  
> Thanks to hark for Beta reading this for us!!
> 
> Yes, we have permission to post this from the author.  
> If you're interested in learning more about our group please head over and have a look at our website! We have character profiles, cover videos and art - https://kukaburow.wixsite.com/nightlongdreamers


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